MIAMI (Reuters) - Nearly half of Florida high school students failed the reading portion of the state's new toughened standardized test, education officials said on Friday.

Results this year from the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test showed 52 percent of freshman students and 50 percent of sophomores scored at their grade levels.

Students in the 10th grade must pass the exam in order to eventually graduate but can retake it if they fail.

The results came days after the Florida State Board of Education voted to lower the standards needed to pass the writing part of the test, known as FCAT. The test is administered in public elementary, middle and high schools.

The board took the action in an emergency meeting when preliminary results indicated only about one-third of Florida students would have passed this year.

"We are asking more from our students and teachers than we ever have, and I am proud of their hard work," Florida Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson said in a statement.

"As Florida transitions to higher standards and higher expectations, we can expect our assessment results to reflect those changes."
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/half-florida-high-school-students-fail-reading-test-232516894.html

Janice

05-19-2012, 08:02 PM

The results came days after the Florida State Board of Education voted to lower the standards needed to pass the writing part of the test, known as FCAT. >>>

>>> I am proud of their hard work," Florida Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson said in a statement.

It figures theyd be "proud" of themselves after lowering the standards ... yet again.

Starbuck

05-19-2012, 08:24 PM

As long as The Department of Education exists in its present form, this will continue.

Department of Revenue must be downsized and get its boot off the neck of state administrators so that they can solve their problems at the state level.

SaintLouieWoman

05-19-2012, 08:26 PM

It figures theyd be "proud" of themselves after lowering the standards ... yet again.

The standards aren't too high here for either the students or the teachers. There's a teacher here who lives in my neighborhood with a masters. It figures she got it from a Florida school. She can't reason, talk, or write better than a 4th grader. To say she's dull is an overstatement. No wonder the students aren't doing well.

When a teacher or administrator is obviously not capable or has done something really wrong, they give them a job filing or some menial work AT FULL PAY. The system is a mess here.

SarasotaRepub

05-19-2012, 08:50 PM

The standards aren't too high here for either the students or the teachers. There's a teacher here who lives in my neighborhood with a masters. It figures she got it from a Florida school. She can't reason, talk, or write better than a 4th grader. To say she's dull is an overstatement. No wonder the students aren't doing well.

When a teacher or administrator is obviously not capable or has done something really wrong, they give them a job filing or some menial work AT FULL PAY. The system is a mess here.

It is a mess and that's a shame especially when you look at your tax bill and see where the majority of the $$$ are going.

Let's face it, you come to Florida AFTER you're all grown up and done with skool. I say throw all the little bastards out of the state and tell em to come back to go to Disney, visit grandma, or buy a retirement condo. :livid: :friendly_wink:

RobJohnson

05-22-2012, 02:48 PM

It's a huge drop from last year's scores. It's my understanding the test is on it's way out.

Florida in some areas has also started paying teachers by merits rather then senority...:star:

I went to a private school, our scores on the "tests" always blew away the public schools..and our teachers made less money. The teachers were teachers because they wanted kids to learn...not just for a paycheck.

noonwitch

05-22-2012, 02:59 PM

I went to good public schools, and our district usually had among the higher scores in West Michigan. Kentwood Public Schools still are an excellent public school system. I like to hold it up as an example here, because Kentwood's racial dynamics have changed drastically in the 30 years since I graduated, but they have maintained their high standards and achievement.

When I went to WMU, I realized how excellent my education was compared to some of my peers. My best friend, who graduated from Westland Schools, could read, but couldn't write a decent report. A roommate of mine, who was on an athletic scholarship, couldn't read and had dyslexia, which had never been diagnosed in the 13 years of her pre-college education. She learned to read in college, and that just is wrong.

NJCardFan

05-22-2012, 11:13 PM

This is what happens when you focus more on a student's feelings than on actually helping them learn something. Failing grades were never about degrading a student. They were meant to be motivation to work harder. But now we don't want to hurt the little crumb snatchers feelings so they get pushed along with grades that are confusing symbols instead of A's and B's. A trip through the internet will show you how kids can't spell anymore.

SaintLouieWoman

05-23-2012, 12:07 AM

I went to good public schools, and our district usually had among the higher scores in West Michigan. Kentwood Public Schools still are an excellent public school system. I like to hold it up as an example here, because Kentwood's racial dynamics have changed drastically in the 30 years since I graduated, but they have maintained their high standards and achievement.

When I went to WMU, I realized how excellent my education was compared to some of my peers. My best friend, who graduated from Westland Schools, could read, but couldn't write a decent report. A roommate of mine, who was on an athletic scholarship, couldn't read and had dyslexia, which had never been diagnosed in the 13 years of her pre-college education. She learned to read in college, and that just is wrong.
It sounds as if we went to similar type schools. My school was excellent back in the day. I had honors and accelerated classes in my public school. When I went to a good private university, I was bored my freshman year. Everything had been covered better at the public high school.

The demographics of the school has changed drastically over the years, but it's still fairly decent, but a shadow of what it had been. Some of the administrators of my old school founded the University of Missouri--St Louis, which started next to the campus of my old junior high.

I was proud of my old school, which was in a mixed neighborhood----doctors' kids as well as middle class with some lower middle class thrown into the mix. The country club kids weren't too obnoxious, well, maybe a little. :biggrin-new:

In college I held my own with the private school kids. I have this old-fashioned idea that the drive and will of the student, with support from the parents, determines success, not necessarily a fancy school, although the more elite school might help when out in the world for the snob factor. Some large companies promote not on merit, but on the pedigree.

Undies

05-23-2012, 01:04 AM

It sounds as if we went to similar type schools. My school was excellent back in the day. I had honors and accelerated classes in my public school. When I went to a good private university, I was bored my freshman year. Everything had been covered better at the public high school.

The demographics of the school has changed drastically over the years, but it's still fairly decent, but a shadow of what it had been. Some of the administrators of my old school founded the University of Missouri--St Louis, which started next to the campus of my old junior high.

I was proud of my old school, which was in a mixed neighborhood----doctors' kids as well as middle class with some lower middle class thrown into the mix. The country club kids weren't too obnoxious, well, maybe a little. :biggrin-new:

In college I held my own with the private school kids. I have this old-fashioned idea that the drive and will of the student, with support from the parents, determines success, not necessarily a fancy school, although the more elite school might help when out in the world for the snob factor. Some large companies promote not on merit, but on the pedigree.

I went to Dallas public schools (Oak Cliff area) along side Stevie Ray Vaughn and Stephen Tobolowsky (see: "Groundhog Day"). The DISD was steered by Dr. W. T. White. Back then, the child was going to be educated or they were going to find out the reason why.

The greatest influence on my desire to learn was my third grade teacher, Mrs. Goldsmith. She started every class with a delightful Bible story read from a big book she kept on her desk.

Mrs. Goldsmith was young and beautiful. I could have looked at her and listen to her all day. And her Bible story stayed with me all day.

RobJohnson

05-23-2012, 02:40 AM

I went to Dallas public schools (Oak Cliff area) along side Stevie Ray Vaughn and Stephen Tobolowsky (see: "Groundhog Day"). The DISD was steered by Dr. W. T. White. Back then, the child was going to be educated or they were going to find out the reason why.

The greatest influence on my desire to learn was my third grade teacher, Mrs. Goldsmith. She started every class with a delightful Bible story read from a big book she kept on her desk.

Mrs. Goldsmith was young and beautiful. I could have looked at her and listen to her all day. And her Bible story stayed with me all day.

Now the ACLU would want to hang Mrs. Goldsmith in front of all the 3rd graders....so sad.

Zathras

05-23-2012, 04:33 AM

Public education....putting the "Duh" in Florida since 2010.

ThinkingBig

05-24-2012, 10:04 PM

It's a huge drop from last year's scores. It's my understanding the test is on it's way out.

Are you saying that because the scores were so bad, they're going to drop the test or lower the standards?

SaintLouieWoman

05-24-2012, 10:16 PM

I went to Dallas public schools (Oak Cliff area) along side Stevie Ray Vaughn and Stephen Tobolowsky (see: "Groundhog Day"). The DISD was steered by Dr. W. T. White. Back then, the child was going to be educated or they were going to find out the reason why.

The greatest influence on my desire to learn was my third grade teacher, Mrs. Goldsmith. She started every class with a delightful Bible story read from a big book she kept on her desk.

Mrs. Goldsmith was young and beautiful. I could have looked at her and listen to her all day. And her Bible story stayed with me all day.

Undies, so good to see you. Come back more often.

I understand your point. My favorite teacher was a handsome English teacher from Spain. All the girls thought he was the greytest and paid attention in his class. Of course, it was silly, as he was the dad of one of my friends. But he was a very good teacher.

SaintLouieWoman

05-24-2012, 10:16 PM

Are you saying that because the scores were so bad, they're going to drop the test or lower the standards?
You've got it. This was on the front page of our local rag.

Hawkgirl

06-04-2012, 10:45 PM

I think I'm going to need a second job to pay for my kid's private education.:apologetic:

noonwitch

06-05-2012, 10:42 AM

The standards aren't too high here for either the students or the teachers. There's a teacher here who lives in my neighborhood with a masters. It figures she got it from a Florida school. She can't reason, talk, or write better than a 4th grader. To say she's dull is an overstatement. No wonder the students aren't doing well.

When a teacher or administrator is obviously not capable or has done something really wrong, they give them a job filing or some menial work AT FULL PAY. The system is a mess here.

I don't know much about Florida schools.

In Michigan, there is a huge difference between scores from wealthy or middle class suburban districts and poor urban or rural districts. There is also a big difference in the amount of school work and the expectations of parents and teachers in the more successful districts.

Lanie

06-05-2012, 11:33 PM

It's a huge drop from last year's scores. It's my understanding the test is on it's way out.

Florida in some areas has also started paying teachers by merits rather then senority...:star:

I went to a private school, our scores on the "tests" always blew away the public schools..and our teachers made less money. The teachers were teachers because they wanted kids to learn...not just for a paycheck.

Teachers can have all the "merits" in the world and still know nothing. It's like St Louis Woman's example of the teacher with a masters degree.

One of the problems really is the teacher's union IMO. It serves its purpose in the sense that it helps teachers get paid enough. It's not fair to tell a teacher "You have to buy materials for your classroom, but we won't pay you squat." Some of the most caring people I know are either refusing to become teachers or to earn more degrees to stay teachers because of this very issue. It's not that they don't care, it's that they can't live broke.

OTOH, teachers unions have pushed for too many benefits. For example, many states have a rule that if you make it past three years, then you're practically untouchable. It's nearly impossible to get that teacher fired. It doesn't matter how crappy their teaching is, how many of their students are failing, etc. They're untouchable. It shouldn't be like that. Another problem I've seen is that if a teacher admits to not being able to come back for the rest of the year but refuses to quit/retire, then that position is not permanently filled by another permanent teacher. Many school districts can add on a substitute at a contract pay rate, but a lot of school systems don't get to do that. It's like "Are you going to come back tomorrow?" That's pretty bad.

So, I'd like to see teachers still get a decent amount of pay and I get offended at people who suggest they're not worth a dime, but honestly there are too many benefits that have been accumulated. I'd like to see some of those benefits go.

Lanie

06-05-2012, 11:37 PM

I don't know much about Florida schools.

In Michigan, there is a huge difference between scores from wealthy or middle class suburban districts and poor urban or rural districts. There is also a big difference in the amount of school work and the expectations of parents and teachers in the more successful districts.

That's true too, and I don't think that's an accident.

Truth is students need the moral and academic support of their parents. When I volunteered in the school that had low scores, I found that the most successful students had involved parents. If the parent has the attitude of "School didn't do much for me, why should I encourage my child?," then the teacher is pretty much in for an uphill battle.

There have also been cases where the parents morally supported their children, but really didn't have the academic ability to help them with their homework. I've learned that there are actually quite a few adults who either can't read or can't read well. I think if we had more programs assisting adults with learning how to read, then you'd see the scores of their children go up.